Can opener



J. KOVATS July 29, 1930.

CAN OPENER Filed Oct. 13, 1928 Film-5:;

Patented July 29,1930

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN KOVATS, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT,ASSIGNOR TO LORRAINE METAL MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF BRIDGEI'ORT,CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION 01' NEW YORK CAN OPENER Application filedOctober 13, 1928. Serial No. 312,335.

This invention relates to a can opener and has for an object to provideasimple and improved can opener which may be easily and quickly appliedto the can and which will be very easy to operate.

It is also an object to provide a can opener which will cut out the topof the can close to the rim or flange so as not to leave any burr, andwill not form any chips in the cutting operation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists incertain novel features of construction, combinations and arrangements ofparts as will be more fully described in connection with theaccompanying drawing. In this drawing,

Fig. 1 is a section through a portion of one side and one end of a canwith my improved opener shown in elevation, the elements being in theposition they occupy just before the cutter is forced to cuttingposition.

Fig. 2 is an elevation looking from the left of Fig. 1 showing the topof the can in section.

Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 1 showing the cutter forced through thecan to the cutting position.

Fig. 4 is a view looking from the left of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section substantially on line 55 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is a detail section of the means for mounting the traction wheel.

Numerous can openers have been produced which have a shear blade whichis drawnor forced around the edge of the top of the can to cut it out,but these have a serious objection in that they form chips in cuttingthe can which come off as fine pieces of metal and drop into thecontents of the can, and these openers are also relatively difiicult tooperate. I have provided an improved opener which will cut the end ,ofthe can clean and close to the rim or flange without forming any chipsand without leaving a rough burr on the can, and which will operate veryeasily. It

comprises a body or frame member 10 which is bent intermediate its endsso that its opposite end portions are inclined at an angle to eachother, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. In its lower end portion is mounted awing member 11 carrying a traction wheel 12. This wheel has a knurled ortoothed edge or rim to engage the under side of the turned over flange13 of the can. This wheel has a non-circular opening to receive anon-circular extension 14 of the wing member, and-therefore, will rotatewith this member. A circular bushing 15 is placed about this extension14 to turn in an opening in the frame 10, and suit-. able washers 16 maybe placed on the opposite sides of the member 10 to give a good bearingand permit easy turning of the traction wheel. The elements are heldtogether by riveting over the end 26 of the extension 14. The support 10has a laterally extending lug 17 at its rear edge adapted to rest on thetop of the rim of the can and guide the device as it is forced aroundthe can.

Pivoted to the upper portion of the support 10 by a pivot 18 is a lever19 carrying at its lower end a circular cutter 20. This cutter isbeveled at both its front and rear sides, as shown at 21 and 22respectively, formin a cutting edge between them, and the mem r 10 isbent so as to bring the lever 19 at an angle so that the rear bevel 22at the lower part of the cutter below its pivot is substantiallyparallel to the inner side of the rim of the can when in the cuttingposition, as shown in Fig. 3. The circular cutter is so located on thelever 19 that when this lever is in the vertical position or a slightdistance to the right of the same, as shown in Fig. 4, which is thenormal operating position, the lower edge of the cutter will,extend-through the top 23 of the can 24. The turning movement of thelever is limited by engagement of one edge thereof with a stop lug 25 onthe support 10. The rear bevel 22 of the cutter that the device iscutter through the end wall of the can and bringing the lever and cutterto the position of Fig. 4. It will be apparent from an inspection ofFigs. 2 and 4 that when the lever is so swung on its pivot the center ofthe rotary cutter 20 passes by the line joining the centers of thedriving wheel 12 and the pivot 18 of the lever so that there is ineffect a sort of toggle action as the cutter is forced through the topof the can,

making the device very easy to operate. Also this arrangement tends tohold the lever in this position during the movement of the device aroundthe can in cutting out the top, and therefore effectively holds thelever in the upright position with the cutter in proper cutting positionand it is not necessary for the operator to hold the lever after thedevice is once started. By then turning the wing member 11 the tractionwheel will advance the cutter around the periphery of the can making aclean cut without forming any chips to fall into the contents of thecan. The circular cutter in view of the inclined arrangement of thelever 11 and the two beveled surfaces on the cutter permits the cutterto easily move around the can without any tendency to dig into the rimof the can, and the rotation of the cutter also facilitates its movementso that the cutter is very easy to operate as well as giving a goodclean out. It will also be apparent very simple in constructioninvolving a small number of parts and ma It ailso requires a small spaceand may be easily carried.

Having thus set forth the nature of my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a can opener, a body member having a lug to rest on the top of therim of the can,

-a driving wheel carried by said body to engage the under edge of theturned over flange a lever pivoted means for operating said wheel, tosaid body member above said wheel, and a circular cutter rotatably ofthe can,

mounted on said lever and adapted to be forced thereby and thencarriedaround the through the top of the can can by action of the drivin wheelto cut the top from the can, the'cutter ing so mountedon the lever thatits axis-passes by the line joining the cenbe manufactured at relativelylow cost.

of the can, and a stop to limit the turning movement of the lever.

2. In a can opener, an upright body memher having a laterally extendinglug to rest on the rim of the can, a drivin wheel mounted to turn insaid member an to engage the under edge of the turned over flange of thecan, the upper portion of said body member being inclined inwardly, alever pivoted to the upper portion of said body member, a circularcutter rotatably mounted on said lever and adapted to be forced therebythrough the top of the can, said cutter being beveled at its oppositesides to form a cutting edge which will lie close to the wall of the canwhen the lever is in the upright position, and the cutter being'somounted on the lever that its axis passes by the line joining thecenters of the driving wheel and the lever pivot to secure an effectsimilar to a toggle action when the lever is operated to force thecutter through the top of the can.

3. In a can opener, an upright body member having a laterally extendinglug to rest on the rim of a can, a driving wheel rotatably mounted inthe lower part of the body member in turned over ange of the can, meansfor operating said wheel, a lever pivoted to the upper part of the bodymember, a circular cutter rotatably mounted .on said lever and adaptedto have its lower edge forced through the top of the can by said lever,the cutter being beveled on its opposite sides to form a cutting edge,the lever being inclined to the axis of the driving wheel so that theinner beveled side of the lower part of the cutter is substantiallyparallel to the inner surface of the can wall when in cutting position,and a stop to limit the turning movement of the lever, the cutter beingso mounted on the lever that its axis passes by the line j oining thecenters of the driving wheel and the lever pivot to secure an effectsimilar to a toggle action when the lever is operated to force thecutter through the top of the can.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JOHN KOVATS.

.ters of the driving wheel and the lever pivot .to simulate a toggleaction when the lever is operated to force the cutter through the toposition to engage under the

